Giggle Giggle Knit
My daughter’s teacher is expecting, and I want to knit her something. I turn to you for your thoughts.
As a rule, I don’t like to knit tiny little baby things, because my baby was born at 9lbs+ and let me tell you, she grew out of her clothes quick. The smallest I’ll generally make is a six month size. But I had an idea.
I’m thinking about making this sweater, but in a lighter blue and a size 2. I’ve got lots of blue CottonEase hoarded during the Great CottonEase Drought of ’05. I might even have enough blue Aurora 8 if I check my stash again.
The difference is that I’m thinking about duplicate stitching or appliqueing a pencil into its mouth and giving it along with the book Giggle Giggle Quack by Doreen Cronin. I think an older toddler might enjoy it, but a baby wouldn’t really get it.
So, is it too old a gift for an expectant mom? Would I be better off making something more traditional? Sometimes knitters make gifts that are more about what they would want to knit and less about what the recipient would want to receive, so I want to be sure my thoughts are clear on this.
I think it would be a uniquely awesome gift for a teacher.
I think it would be a uniquely awesome gift for a teacher.
I think it’d be great! Besides, a lot of folks fall into the situation of having a well-clothed baby, but as soon as the kiddo hits about 6 mos., all of a sudden, they have to buy *everything*, because all of the cutesy clothes that they were barely able to wear once have been outgrown.
So clothing at larger sizes is, I think, very welcome. Especially since once you hit about 2T/24 mos, the kiddos aren’t growing out of them as quickly, and you’re far less likely to deal with the possibility of the child outgrowing that cute sweater before the season even begins (or growing into it just in time to wear it once before the warm weather is back). I was happily surprised when I realized how much longer the kiddos were able to wear their clothes when we hit that 2T/24 month mark.
I think it’d be great! Besides, a lot of folks fall into the situation of having a well-clothed baby, but as soon as the kiddo hits about 6 mos., all of a sudden, they have to buy *everything*, because all of the cutesy clothes that they were barely able to wear once have been outgrown.
So clothing at larger sizes is, I think, very welcome. Especially since once you hit about 2T/24 mos, the kiddos aren’t growing out of them as quickly, and you’re far less likely to deal with the possibility of the child outgrowing that cute sweater before the season even begins (or growing into it just in time to wear it once before the warm weather is back). I was happily surprised when I realized how much longer the kiddos were able to wear their clothes when we hit that 2T/24 month mark.
Well, as someone who just spent most of her Sunday evening and well into Monday morning holding the hand of a friend giving birth (her husband is in Iraq)I say do what you want. You can put in the card “this is for a bit later when your baby wants to just be held while hearing your voice pour over him/her (find out if it’s a boy or a girl….lol) with love.”
My friend had a girl by the way, born at 7:45am this morning and she named it “Aubrey May”. My left hand is fused into a stiff point and I’m typing with one finger on my right hand right now….lol.
By the way, I’m NEVER birthin no babies! LOL
Well, as someone who just spent most of her Sunday evening and well into Monday morning holding the hand of a friend giving birth (her husband is in Iraq)I say do what you want. You can put in the card “this is for a bit later when your baby wants to just be held while hearing your voice pour over him/her (find out if it’s a boy or a girl….lol) with love.”
My friend had a girl by the way, born at 7:45am this morning and she named it “Aubrey May”. My left hand is fused into a stiff point and I’m typing with one finger on my right hand right now….lol.
By the way, I’m NEVER birthin no babies! LOL
Another vote for AWESOME.
Another vote for AWESOME.
Thanks! Do you think if I knit it top down circular until the body (so as to avoid seaming the sleeves) and then split off to knit the body flat (intarsia for the chart) that it would freak out the gauge too much?
Thanks! Do you think if I knit it top down circular until the body (so as to avoid seaming the sleeves) and then split off to knit the body flat (intarsia for the chart) that it would freak out the gauge too much?
As someone who has had lots of kiddos and has begun the grandbaby phase I say this is a BRILLIANT idea. You are a genius!
As someone who has had lots of kiddos and has begun the grandbaby phase I say this is a BRILLIANT idea. You are a genius!
Hmm. Is your flat stockinette pretty regular (no “rowing out”)? If your knit and purl gauges are pretty close, it should be fine. If your purl gauge is different, you can experiment with using different needle sizes for your knit and purl rows to compensate for any gauge switch.
Hmm. Is your flat stockinette pretty regular (no “rowing out”)? If your knit and purl gauges are pretty close, it should be fine. If your purl gauge is different, you can experiment with using different needle sizes for your knit and purl rows to compensate for any gauge switch.
Quack
I think she would love it.
Debra Davis
Quack
I think she would love it.
Debra Davis
Very cute idea!
I’m starting to wish I had gone with a smaller project for my boyfriend’s nephew, but I wanted to do something that his sister would be able to make use of for at least a few months, so I went with a blankie. It’s taking me FOREVER.
What about felting the details into it? Or isn’t that good for little ones? It might make better for the eyes, and you could do the nostrils that way too.
Very cute idea!
I’m starting to wish I had gone with a smaller project for my boyfriend’s nephew, but I wanted to do something that his sister would be able to make use of for at least a few months, so I went with a blankie. It’s taking me FOREVER.
What about felting the details into it? Or isn’t that good for little ones? It might make better for the eyes, and you could do the nostrils that way too.
It’s pretty similar. I did gauge swatches in the round and flat for a project a while back and the difference was less than a quarter of a stitch per inch. It’s not perfect, but for a kid’s sweater I might call it “good enough.”
Of course, now I can’t remember which was bigger, flat or in the round…
It’s pretty similar. I did gauge swatches in the round and flat for a project a while back and the difference was less than a quarter of a stitch per inch. It’s not perfect, but for a kid’s sweater I might call it “good enough.”
Of course, now I can’t remember which was bigger, flat or in the round…
I’m wanting to use a machine washable yarn, since it’s for a kid’s sweater, which means felting something into it wouldn’t work.
I hear you on the blankie. I made a baby blanket a while back for a friend, and never again will I make the mistake of thinking that’s a quick easy project. It’s just rows and rows and rows and rows and SAVE ME FROM THE NEVERENDING BLANKET!! But she loved it, so it was worth it. Hopefully you’ll feel the same way when it’s over.
Of course, it’s not too late to rip it out and make a tiny hat. Heh.
I’m wanting to use a machine washable yarn, since it’s for a kid’s sweater, which means felting something into it wouldn’t work.
I hear you on the blankie. I made a baby blanket a while back for a friend, and never again will I make the mistake of thinking that’s a quick easy project. It’s just rows and rows and rows and rows and SAVE ME FROM THE NEVERENDING BLANKET!! But she loved it, so it was worth it. Hopefully you’ll feel the same way when it’s over.
Of course, it’s not too late to rip it out and make a tiny hat. Heh.
Aw, pretty name!
Aw, pretty name!
Yeah, I definitely appreciated getting bigger-sized clothes, and I’ve heard the same from other moms. What I give for baby showers changed after I lived the day-to-day of caring for a baby.
Yeah, I definitely appreciated getting bigger-sized clothes, and I’ve heard the same from other moms. What I give for baby showers changed after I lived the day-to-day of caring for a baby.